Ends lead to Beginings
by Karianasan
Summary: Part 2 of 4, Romanitic pairings. FD


_Part two of a four part series. I am making all the pairings that are popular. Others are coming soon. Based off of the end of Zombie Island. I also made this since I had been roleplaying and wanted to figure out how a actual scene between these two might pan out if I was doing it my way.  
_

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Something didn't feel right in the car ride home. Moon Scar Island proved to be a memorable event and something they didn't expect to actually find even though they had sought out the true from the false. The car ride was longer then Fred could have ever wanted. There was a solemn feeling from them all, trying to cope with what had happened. They all had made a pack with each other, to not mention this to anyone else. 

Once Velma, Shaggy and Scooby were all dropped off at their own places, all that was left was Daphne and Fred. The feeling in the van was unsettling, and Fred didn't like it one bit. Well, it wasn't like this was the first time they were alone, or that the end of the mystery wasn't as positive as others. But there was a different… aura, coming off of Daphne and he didn't like the feeling one bit.

Originally he planned to head back to the hotel they had used in town, since it was a bit odd stopping at home out of no where without giving warning. But he wasn't going to be able to rest till he got to the bottom of this. Since she wasn't paying as much attention, he clenched his jaw and subtly changed course. Away from the people, away from anyone being nosey… Fred headed to the one place he knew of where they would be undisturbed, their old hideout in the woods. As the van hit the entrance of the dirt path, it was the one thing that woke Daphne from her closed off position. She turned a glare to Fred as she was wondering what the heck he was doing. This was the last place she expected to end up.

"What do you think you are doing? Why are we here?" She certainly, after all this, didn't want to be here. A nice, room to herself is all that she wanted. To be alone.

"I want you to talk to me!" Fred said concerned. He knew she was holding back. And it was driving him mad that she wasn't sharing. All they went through and she was still holding back.

"…Its…It's nothing Fred." She gave him her best fake smile, turning away from him in the van seat. It hurt her too much, and she didn't want to share the blame that was all hers. It was her idea to go there. It was her idea to start the whole thing in the first place. It was all her... No one else.

"…I know that isn't the case." He pleaded with her; it pained him to see her like this. Beating her self up over what had happened. "…Talk to me Daphne."

"…I…" She wanted to look at him but couldn't bring herself to look at him. "...I can't."

Closing his eyes, he sighed. Slowly, so not to upset her with his faster movements, he came from the front of the van to where she had claimed in the back of the van. Taking off his jacket, he laid it gently around her shoulders. She flinched as the cloth came in contact with her but the warmth from him was seeping into her shoulders calming her a bit.

"…We have been friends for so long. I trust you… Is it so hard to trust me?" He asked in an unhappy tone. Even when the gang had gone their separate ways, he had followed her. He felt like there was more to following Daphne over anyone else. He knew part of him really liked her more then a friend, but he didn't want to impose his feelings on her just in case she didn't share them back.

"I!" She turned around like his statement was accusing her of doing something wrong. She pulled her eyes to find him looking at her. Stalling her words, cutting them down as she found herself staring into his questioning eyes. It was like his eyes were calling for her response. But the look earned her head shook out of the longing glance and off to the side of the van. "That's not the problem."

"Then TELL me what is!" Fred raised his voice in desperation, flinching as his voice got louder then he wanted. He was feeling so useless. He was her right hand man, her cameraman, and her lifelong friend… What could it be that she was not able to tell him? He closed his eyes, a sigh rattling out of him as he shifted his position to face away from her. Now what was he supposed to do?

His voice almost scared her. Her nerves were shot enough, him almost yelling at her was not what she needed right now. But, she knew that it wasn't fair to him, and she felt bad how it must have been affecting him. Her mind was torn, fighting against the urge to tell him, or to keep it all to herself. But his shuffle and sigh drew her attention to him. Now he was beating himself up over it, and it was all her fault. A hand came to hold her head up, for it was feeling heavy with all of her serious thinking.

"…It's…" Her words came slow and manicured. "…It's… All my fault."

"No it's…" Fred started before Daphne interrupted him.

"Yes!" She was looking at him intensely, her feelings boiling inside of her. Hate, worry, sorrow, fear, regret, pain, anger. All fighting inside of her for domination. "It's all my fault. We almost got killed this time!"

"But…" Fred tried to start but she cut him off.

"There are no buts Fred. Because of my selfish actions, I almost got us all killed. Shaggy, Scooby…. Velma… You… We all could have died. And it's not like chasing after from crazy criminal in a mask. That was real." Daphne shuddered. Her emotions overtaking her in a flood, bursting past any restrain she had been trying to construct against it. She turned away, but Fred caught her and drew her into a hug. He was trying to pull her as close as he could, wishing he was bigger to be able to envelope her more in a hug then he was accomplishing. She fought for a moment, but she stopped as he almost encased her. It wasn't like he was squeezing her, or preventing her from breathing; it was more like he was all around her. What he himself could not reach, his coat had been covering her. A whisper of calming words came flowing out of his mouth like a rushing river to over take and wash away her negative emotions. One hand came up to pet her hair, leaning her head into his chest, where his strong and gentle heart was beating at her a soothing melody.

"…Shhhh… It's ok. It's all right. It's over and we are all fine."

"But…" She started to weakly protest against his chest but it was his turn to cut her off.

"…No buts, like you said. It happened. It was dangerous, yes. But we are all fine and nothing happened."

"…But we…" She tried again.

"…Do you think any of us would have let you go off on your own, alone?" He looked down at the top of her red hair. "…We all came on our own wills. And nothing you could have said or done would have stopped any of us from doing what we wanted to do. And that was to join you on this hunt."

She tried to accept his words, but her own guilt and blame was winning over his common sense. Which is one thing he always had.

"There is no one with soul responsibility for this. Far is it resting all on your head." Fred released his grip on her, since she seemed to be shaking less. He brought up both hands to gently lift her face to face him. "Look into my eyes. Do you think that I would have let you go on your own?"

She took a bit, but he had patience. Slowly, her eyes had run out of other things to look at before settling to stare at his dark eyes questing for her joint connection. Once their eyes locked, his expression softened.

"… There you are." He whispered at her.

"…" Her eyes drifted, wavering under his strong yet gentle gaze at her. Though since they didn't move, she ended up looking back at them. Looking back at him. Her eyes fell heavy again as her feelings fought to gain a foothold again against Fred. "…You could have died… I… I don't think I would be able to handle that." She paused, to recover adding. "I couldn't stand to loose any of you."

A thumb of Fred's seemed to wander back and forth upon her cheek as his gaze held strong against her wavering. "…You'll never lose me." He spoke to her, with truth behind his words. He didn't know if this was the right thing to be doing, but she needed someone to grasp upon that would not waver right now, and the only thing he had was the feelings he had for her. She meant everything to him, and the scare of almost loosing her and her almost getting lost in her own self was enough to him up to accept the things he felt. "…For better or for worse."

Daphne was a bit shocked at his words. But, they were more surprising at the feeling behind the words then their meaning. It meant a lot, but it… it was so powerful. Commanding almost in its steadiness and truth. Her mind revolted, launching a massive attack of insecurities and doubts… it's strongest weapon since she was in such an unstable state.

"Fred… I… But…" She struggled.

"I have a plan… Listen to my argument then."

He said softly and moved gracefully to cover her stuttering lips with his own steady pair. He moved quickly at her before she could react; yet upon contact seemed to melt against her. His lips encasing her own and attaching to them. Her eyes opened from their fluttering position they had been due to indecision and locked on his, which had stayed looking at her the whole time. The feeling she was getting from him overwhelmed her doubts and tossed them out the window. A sense of calm washed over her as she turned to mush against his tender grasp. He waited till she seemed to be back to normal before he released the kiss and took a breath.

"…Good argument…" She almost giddily whispered at him, her mind back into place and calmer to be able to look over things with a better perspective.

"Back to normal?" He asked, releasing his hold upon her head.

"Yeah." She said with an easy. Leaning back a bit but not wanting to be to far away from him. Catching his jacket as a bit of it had started to slide off.

"…Good. My plan was a success." Fred replied with a grin. "Shock therapy."

She brought up a hand to cover his eyes as she hung her head and started to laugh. Her laughter trickling out of like fallen raindrops upon the stillness of the moment, stress seeping out of her.

"… For once a plan of your worked."

"Hey!" He replied amused but defensively, pushing her hand playfully away from his face. So he could look back at her again.

She pulled the hand away, but her eyes got a bit of doubt back in them. Had he just kissed her to get her back to normal? Or had done that because he wanted to do that. Had he meant the words he had said before.

"…Did you…"

The flicker came back. Fred squinted at it and moved in once again. The second kiss wasn't as intense to get her attention, but his passion behind his words was still there the second time. His eyes looked back up at her, pulling back.

"… What do you think?"

A short pause came before a grin appeared on her face. She looked over at him taking a finger to poke at his nose before responding.

"I think you need more plans successful like that… Let's go home."

"Sounds good to me."


End file.
